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How Ole Miss's upset win over UGA helps Texas A&M football in SEC championship race

The big week eleven upset of Ole Miss over Georgia is a boon for Texas A&M football in a couple of ways.

By Graham Harmon

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) hands the ball off to running back Ulysses Bentley IV (24) during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) hands the ball off to running back Ulysses Bentley IV (24) during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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How Texas A&M football benefits from Ole Miss pulling off huge upset over the Georgia Bulldogs

With Texas A&M football on a bye this week, Aggie fans are casting their eyes around the conference for games that could help the Ags in their goal of reaching the SEC championship—and, too, the College Football Playoff.

There are several key contests going on this week in that regard, some more high-profile than others. The top two games of the weekend, though, are no doubt Georgia's visit to Ole Miss and Alabama's visit to LSU. The former game just went final, with the Rebels triumphing resoundingly over the Bulldogs by a score of 28-10.

The defense for Ole Miss was positively suffocating the whole afternoon, unrelenting against Carson Beck and his offense. This is a huge win for the Rebels to stay in playoff contention, while setting up a possible elimination game for the Bulldogs next week against the Tennessee Volunteers.

A loss here would have eliminated the Rebels from playoff contention, which on its face seems like it would be a big positive for the Aggies—one fewer team to worry about in the field and all that. But it may end up being a net positive for the Aggies anyway. Here's how.

This result ends up helping Texas A&M as they seek to make the SEC championship, which, now that they have two losses, is probably their best route to the College Football Playoff. If A&M wins out and ends up at 10-2 headed into the SEC championship, they'd likely be in no matter the result of that game.

If the Aggies end up 9-3, though, their standing would be a lot shakier. Getting to the SEC championship and getting a win in that game would probably be necessary at that point. This result knocks UGA down to a two-conference-loss team, meaning there is a greater chance for A&M to get to the SEC championship as a team with a 6-2 SEC record.

This result also guarantees that A&M controls their own destiny as far as getting to the SEC championship. Had Georgia and LSU both won out—and another couple of dominos fallen—there was a niche scenario in which A&M could have been left out, even if they had won out as well. But now, it's fully in the Aggies' hands.

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